The mission of the College of Education is the preparation of professional educators and allied practitioners, including professionals in counseling, instructional technology, and librarianship. Significant to this mission is a strong commitment to three important, related areas, all of which are realized through partnerships and other endeavors: the encouragement and nurturing of professional growth for educators and allied practitioners at all levels and in all areas of the educational endeavor, a continuing emphasis on and support for scholarship and research/creative activity, and service in all areas of professional education. Critical to such commitment is the promotion of effective teaching, staff participation in the improvement of schools; and, in concert with other state agencies, the development and creation of educational policy for North Carolina.

Faculty

Admission

An advisor will be assigned to each student to assist in program planning. Undergraduate educator preparation majors may also be required to complete an approved academic concentration as part of their programs of study. Additional information about academic concentrations and specific program requirements is available in departmental offices. Educator preparation is a program that requires formal admittance. Educator preparation majors will become official education preparation candidates once they have been fully admitted to upper division.

Once enrolled in an educator preparation program and prior to admission to the upper division of study, students will be required to have a minimum cumulative 2.7 GPA, post passing scores on PRAXIS CORE, SAT, ACT or combination and meet technology competency requirements. Students must maintain a 2.7 GPA for retention in the upper division of all educator preparation programs. Additional information concerning admission to the upper division is available online in the Welcome to Educator Preparation Handbook.

Requirements for Students Preparing to Teach

The purpose of education preparation at East Carolina University is to prepare professional educators through partnerships who are academically and technically proficient, reflective in practice, committed to the intellectual empowerment of others, and guided by the larger democratic purposes of American education.

Students who aspire to complete the requirements for a BS degree in secondary teacher education must complete all general education requirements, the requirements stipulated by the department of the academic major, and the following professional credits: EDTC 4001; EDUC 3002 or PSYC 2777 or other CEP approved course; EDUC 3200; EDUC 4400 or PSYC 4305; READ 3990 or READ 5317; SPED 4010; unit prefix 2123, 4323, 4324, 4325. Majors in the physical education K-12 program will also complete an approved academic concentration from the list presented below. Students should consult their advisor for specific program information.

Academic Concentrations

Students in business education, elementary education, physical education, and health education are required to complete one 18 s.h. academic concentration. Middle grades education students are required to complete two 24 s.h. academic concentrations from English, mathematics, social studies, and general science only. Please consult your advisor for the appropriate concentration(s) in your area. A maximum of 6 s.h. can be counted toward general education.

Upper Division of Educator Preparation

Prior to enrolling in selected professional education courses (see departmental requirements) and applying for the internship experience, all students must be admitted to the upper division of educator preparation. Application for admission is normally completed during the second semester of the sophomore year or first semester of the junior year. Transfer students must have completed at least 12 s.h. at East Carolina University before they are eligible to apply.

Steps in admission to upper division include:

Satisfactory completion of 16-hour early field experience with minimum grade of C (2.0), normally as part of departmental 2123 or 2611 courses.

Passing scores on PRAXIS CORE, SAT, ACT or combination.

A minimum GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale for all college work attempted at East Carolina University. Students must also meet minimum academic major grade point average requirements. (See catalog or advisor.)

Completion of technology competencies. (See advisor.)

Internship

Internship is the culminating aspect of the professional component of educator preparation. The internship provides students opportunities to synthesize and apply previous learning and experience; to develop and apply analytical and problem-solving skills to the various activities of teaching, including self-evaluation; and to grow professionally through observing, planning, and teaching with an outstanding teacher. The required national assessment, edTPA, is completed and submitted during the internship.

Applications for admission to the internship must be submitted to the internship coordinator in the major department one year prior to the semester in which the student will complete internship requirements. Assignments will be located within the Latham Clinical Schools Network. Students are strongly discouraged from working during their internship. For applications and more detailed information, consult Welcome to Teacher Educator Preparation.

Administration of the internship is provided by clinical experiences coordinators, who work with the director of educator preparation, department chairs, the educator preparation staff, and local school personnel.

A minimum grade of C (2.0) in the teacher education professional core courses and internship and a minimum 2.7 GPA are required for licensure.

Additional Requirements for Interns in Selected Program Areas

In addition to meeting the requirements of all secondary education majors, art majors must have earned a minimum grade of C (2.0) in ART 3851, ART 3860.

Other secondary education and special subject majors must have a minimum major 2.7 GPA, except for mathematics education, science education and physical education who must maintain a 2.5 GPA. They must have earned a minimum grade of C (2.0) in both the departmental early experience; methods courses; as well as all professional core courses. With the exception indicated above for music education, only 4323 departmental courses are acceptable for meeting the methods course requirement (4611 for FREN, GERM, and SPAN). (Note: The methods course, EDUC 4400, and SPED 4010 should be taken concurrently.)

Licensure

To be eligible for licensure in North Carolina, the student must complete the requirements of an approved competency-based teacher education program designed to meet the requirements for the professional studies components of programs in all teaching areas, and any other requirements deemed necessary by NC law or by policies implemented by the State Board of Education or the Department of Public Instruction. When the programs have been properly planned, coordinated, and implemented, and when these credits, experiences, and any additional state requirements have been verified by the appropriate unit, the dean of the College of Education or designee recommends the issuance of the proper license. Licensure requirements are beyond degree requirements.

Applicants seeking to add fields or subjects to their current NC license must submit a request for review and their credentials to the Office of Alternative Licensure for evaluation toward the competency-based educator preparation program for North Carolina. Submit materials via email to alternative licensure@ecu.edu.